Pharmacogenomics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pharmacogenomics, including details on pharmacology, designer drugs, customized medicines.

Pharmacogenomic data sample collection and storage: ethical issues and policy approaches.

Joly Y, Knoppers BM

Université de Montréal, Centre de recherche en droit public, 3101 chemin de la Tour, Montreal H3T 1J7, Canada.

This perspective report will focus on the ethical, legal and social issues raised by pharmacogenomic research using large population-based databases. Access to databases established or developed at the level of whole populations or communities (e.g., the Estonian Genome Project, the UK Biobank, CARTaGENE, GenomEUtwin, and so on) will become increasingly important in pharmacogenomic research for the purpose of confirming associations between genetic variations and drug-related effects. The capacity of database creators and managers, along with that of researchers, to meet the ethical issues raised by such vast public projects will determine the integration of pharmacogenomics into mainstream clinical practice.

Published 6 March 2006 in Pharmacogenomics, 7(2): 219-26.
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